A Voyager pauses at Cheltenham Spa with a Bristol bound service

60061 thunders through Cheltenham Spa with the early 6E41 Westerleigh to Lyndsey tanks

153369 arrives with a stopping service to Swindon

An HDR of a locomotive that requires no introduction

The purpose of my visit to the NRM was to shoot a series of HDR photos of the re-streamlined Duchess of Hamilton

Some close-up details of the bodywork showing the bulges for the cylinders and parts of the valve gear above the leading driving wheel

Here are two different types of streamlined wheeled transport, a vision that was somewhat obsessed upon during the 1930s

An overall view of the display the Duchess forms part of

This is a close view of one of the headlamps designed to be in keeping with the whole livery and image of speed

The people at Tyseley have done a fantastic job with the restoration, but on close inspection a few oddities can be seen like the uneven handrails at the smokebox end of the new streamlining

Here we can see the cowlings around the buffers to help with the aerodynamics

This close view shows one of the bulges included to accomodate the valve gear of the locomotive

A view along the super sleek looking bodyside with the wheels and rods tucked underneath

Just incase you wondered who made this loco there's a small acronym on the tender!

I don't know which part this is but it must require constant access as it was deemed important enough to require a hole in the streamlined skin

The Coronation class makes an imposing head on view for any potential jumpers

I took this tight in view of an instantly recognisable loco at York. It is 55002 which has apparently recently acquired some radiators, one of which was found in the middle of some random cooling system that has nothing to do with a locomotive

I very much believe in the philosophy 'If you don't ask, you don't get' so I asked the NRM staff if my camera and tripod could take a ride on the turntable without me expecting a no. To my surprise all they asked was I understood I was liable for any damage they suffered. This is one of the resulting 20 second exposures taken as LNWR loco 790 Hardwicke spun around in the Great Hall

A different shot taken while Hardwicke spins on the NRM turntable. 87001 is clearly visible as the motion stopped momentarily

Another nose on view of 55002 showing the distinctive window shape

I paid my first visit ever to the roundhouse at Barrow Hill for the Type 5 Diesel Gala and was very impressed with the quality of exhibits. Sadly, much less impressive was the functioning of the air conditioning on the CargoD mk2 stock. Whether this was down to the stock or 47818 remains to be seen

Two very different Type 5s are Advenza Railfreights 66841 and now preserved 56006

DTG loco D1015 Western Champion was one of a star lineup appearing at the gala

Not to be outdone was classmate D1023 Western Fusilier clagging out the area on